‘It’s about time’ … we understand the link between diabetes and mental health
National Diabetes Week (8 to 13 July) raised awareness of the importance of early detection and treatment for all types of diabetes through the ‘It’s about time’ campaign.
Diabetes affects millions of Australians
Every five minutes a person in Australia develops diabetes. And for every one person diagnosed it is estimated there is another who remains undiagnosed – could one of them be you? (Diabetes Australia).
An estimated 1.2 million Australians have been diagnosed with diabetes (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015) – that is a staggering 5.1 per cent of the population. Diabetes Australia estimates that another 500,000 Australians may have Type 2 Diabetes and they don’t know it. Also affected are the millions of family and friends of people living with diabetes.
Early detection is vital
Diabetes can be well managed, however, early detection is vital. Unfortunately, many Australians are diagnosed with diabetes too late, which can increase the risk of major health problems and complications such as blindness in adults, kidney failure, limb amputations, heart attack and stroke. The good news is, that if pre-diabetes symptoms are noticed early and treated properly through diet and exercise, a diagnosis of diabetes may often be prevented.
Mentis Assist strongly supports the ‘It’s about time’ campaign and urges everyone to be aware of the risks and symptoms of diabetes and see their doctor if they have any concerns.
Some common risk factors include:
- Being overweight (especially excess weight around the waist)
- Being physically inactive
- Having high blood pressure or high cholesterol
- Having a family history of type 2 diabetes and/or heart disease
- Having gestational diabetes during pregnancy
- Being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background
- Being of certain ethnic background including Pacific Islands, Asia, sub-continental India
Common symptoms include:
- Being more thirsty than usual
- Passing more urine
- Feeling tired and lethargic
- Always feeling hungry
- Having cuts that heal slowly
- Itching, skin infections
- Blurred vision
- Unexplained weight loss (type 1)
- Gradually putting on weight (type 2)
- Mood swings
- Headaches
- Feeling dizzy
- Leg cramps
Diabetes doubles the risk of depression
Mentis Assist also recognises the impact of diabetes on a person’s mental health. Having diabetes more than doubles your risk of developing depression. In fact up to 50 per cent of people with diabetes are thought to also have a mental illness such as depression or anxiety. For these people, living with and managing diabetes can be difficult. Feeling depressed or anxious can cause them to neglect their diabetes care, which can increase their likelihood of developing complications.
Mentis Assist provides a range of supports and programs for young people and adults with mild to severe mental health needs. Our aim is to help people improve their health and wellbeing, and assist them to better manage the other challenges they face in life.
Contact Mentis Assist
Just as people with diabetes need proper care and treatment, people with depression can’t just ‘snap out of it’; they also need proper care and treatment.
So, if you need support for yourself or someone you know, or if you want to talk to someone about mental health, please contact Mentis Assist on 1300 MENTIS (1300 636 847).
